RC helicopter repair

RC Mods ran a helicopter repair service for years, and the honest truth is that most of what came in could have been fixed at home with the right part and a bit of patience. Some jobs genuinely do need a specialist, though, and it helps to know which is which.

Jobs you can do yourself

With basic tools and the parts list from the manual:

• Main and tail blades.
• Main gear, pinion, one-way bearing.
• Main shaft, feathering shaft, blade grips.
• Ball links and pushrods.
• Landing gear, canopy, tail boom.
• Tail belt and tail gears.
• Servo gear sets.
• Replacing a whole servo.

The checks after a crash are in after a crash: checks and repairs, and the tools in essential RC helicopter tools.

Jobs where a specialist helps

• Electronics faults: a flybarless unit, receiver or ESC that behaves oddly, or wiring damage.
• Setup problems you can't solve, especially on larger collective pitch helicopters.
• Intermittent faults that you can't reproduce on the bench.
• Motor and bearing work on larger helicopters.
• Anything after a big crash on a 500 to 700 class model, where it's worth a second pair of eyes before flying.

Is it worth repairing?

Add up the parts first. As a rule of thumb:

• Toy and toy-grade helicopters: repair blades and simple parts; replace the helicopter if a board fails.
• Small hobby-grade helicopters: almost always worth repairing; parts are cheap.
• Large helicopters: always worth repairing, but get the electronics checked after a heavy crash.

Discontinued models are the exception: without parts, even a simple fault can be the end. See the brand pages for E-Sky and Walkera for older models.

Diagnosing first

Before buying parts, work through the RC helicopter troubleshooting guide. Many faults turn out to be a battery, a binding link or a setting.

Posting a helicopter for repair

1. Remove the main blades and pack them separately.
2. Don't send the LiPo unless asked. Lithium batteries have strict postal rules.
3. Wrap the helicopter in bubble wrap, with the rotor head and tail supported.
4. Use a strong box with padding all round so nothing can move.
5. Include a note describing the fault, what you've tried, and your contact details.

Where to get help

A local model shop or club is often the quickest route: many clubs have members who'll help with setup. For general electronics repairs, The Repair Works is run by RC Mods' founder, Paul Walsh. Battery safety before any repair is covered in LiPo battery safety.

All the fix guides are on the RC helicopters hub.